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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · pitch · bass · vault · clip · dip · pitcher · club

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the fish
  8. clip — for paper
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — to cut
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com